Acc. Chem. Res. 2026

Selenium is an essential element widely utilized across biological systems, where it imparts unique chemical functionality to biomacromolecules. While selenoproteins are well appreciated in humans, other selenium-containing biomacromolecules remain largely absent, and the development of selenium-based therapeutics has lagged. Here, from the perspective of molecular design, we introduce a series of selenium-containing polymers with diverse molecular structures and elucidate their in vivo effect, aiming to advance selenium chemistry toward defined biological functions. In this account, we establish a unified framework linking molecular structure, chemical reactivity, and in vivo functionality of selenium-containing polymers, thereby redefining their role beyond conventional drug carriers. We first delineate the distinct redox-responsive behaviors of monoselenide and diselenide motifs and their divergent biological consequences in vivo. We then introduce selenium-doped carbonized polymer dots for the treatment of liver and kidney diseases. Finally, we discuss selenium-containing melanins as a previously unrecognized class of selenium-enriched biomacromolecules with exceptional radioprotective capability, arising from their conjugated structures and selenium-specific electronic properties. By integrating these structurally related yet functionally diverse systems, this account highlights general design principles for in vivo modulation using selenium polymer chemistry. Bridging the gap between biological selenium utilization and synthetic molecular design unlocks new opportunities for selenium-based therapeutics and establishes selenium-containing polymers as a distinctive platform in biomedical science.

Chemistry – A European Journal , 2026: e71812.

Three-dimensional (3D) patterning on polymer surfaces is typically achieved by photolithography or related techniques, which often involve complex procedures, high-energy ultraviolet light, and risk of material damage. Here, we report a visible light-driven strategy that exploits the dual functionality of stress relaxation via dynamic bond exchange and radical-initiated polymerization to create raised 3D patterns on diselenide-containing polyurethane films. Under mild visible light irradiation through a photomask, the diselenide bonds undergo homolytic cleavage, enabling local stress relaxation and simultaneously generating selenium radicals that polymerize a methacrylate monomer swollen in the matrix. The resulting patterns exhibit high fidelity to the mask. The method is compatible with complex templates (letters, Braille, QR codes, and photographs) and even with a commercial projector as a maskless light source. Moreover, the large modulus contrast between the patterned phase and the pristine matrix enables strain isolation, allowing conductive coatings on illuminated regions to maintain electrical continuity under stretching. This rapid, low-damage, and versatile approach provides a new route to functional 3D surface architectures for applications in tactile displays, flexible electronics, and strain-isolated devices.

New Journal of Chemistry; 2023, 47, 5582.

In recent years, mechanochemistry of polymers, which means the reactivity of polymers under mechanical stimuli, has been widely studied and greatly developed. Among various kinds of mechano-responsive polymers, dynamic chalcogen-containing polymers have attracted more attention due to their sensitive responsiveness and precise biofunction. In this perspective, we provide an overview of mechanochemistry of dynamic chalcogen-containing polymers, including both fundamental mechanochemistry and applications. Particularly, we pay most attention to mechanically induced colour/fluorescence changes, drug release, material strengthening and toughening of various functional mechano-responsive polymeric materials. Additionally, currently unsolved issues, challenges, and possible opportunities in the future are also summarized and discussed.

ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces.; 2022, 14, 27413.

The development of underwater remote stimulus-responsive self-healing polymer materials for applications in inaccessible and urgent situations is very challenging because water can readily disturb traditional noncovalent bonds and absorb heat, UV light, IR light, and electromagnetic wave energy at the wave band of micrometers and millimeters. Herein, visible-light-responsive diselenide bonds are employed as the healing moieties to produce a water-enhanced and remote self-healing elastomer triggered by a blue laser, which possesses excellent underwater transmission capability. During healing, the strain at break reaches ∼200% in 5 min and its toughness almost fully recovers within 1 h, which is estimated to be the fastest reported to date for healing silicone elastomers with a healing efficiency above 90%. The remote underwater pipeline sealing is instantly accomplished with the diselenide-containing elastomers by a blue laser 3 m away, thereby providing a direction for future emergent healing applications.

Mr. Zhiheng Zhang introduced the scientific research and the chemical mechanism about the phenomenon that “Laba garlic” turns green in vinegar.

Mr. Xining Qian put forward two probable explanations for the rheological behavior of sesame paste and designed a simple kitchen experiment for verification.

J. Mater. Chem. C, 2019, 7, 10777-10782.

An ordered pattern or a distinct texture on surfaces endows materials with specific applications, such as oil-water separation, advanced anticounterfeiting and optical devices. Conventional photolithography and surface patterning methods can form only 2D patterns, and they are also limited by the shape of a material and the required equipment. In this study, a swelling-induced 3D photopatterning (SPP) method is demonstrated to manipulate both the shape and surface pattern of a material. Under the irradiation of visible light, metathesis of diselenide bonds induces different swelling behaviors between irradiated and nonirradiated regions. Based on the differences, various programmable 3D patterns are obtained. Notably, the SPP method is not limited by the size and shape of a material; therefore, this method can be applied to thin film materials, bulk materials and cylindrical materials. In addition, this strategy has potential applications in advanced anticounterfeiting.

Polym. Rev., 2020, 60, 114-143.

Responsive polymeric materials that are sensitive to biological stimuli including temperature, pH, enzymes, or redox conditions have attracted research interest in recent years. Among these, reactive oxygen species (ROS)-responsive polymers are particularly appealing because of the special role of ROS in living organisms. ROS are the indicator and cause of certain diseases, and they are also important signaling molecules. ROS-responsive polymers could possess the following functions: drug carriers, ROS probes, or medications for certain ROS-related diseases. In this review, we analyze the progress about ROS-responsive polymers made in recent years and predict the future trends of ROS-responsive polymers from the above mentioned perspectives. Due to the limited scope of this review, some older articles are not covered here and are left for more comprehensive reviews.

Congtatulations to Mr. Wentian Xiang on getting his master degree!

Congratulations to Mr. Ke Zheng on getting his bachelor degree!

Mr. Tianyu Li was honoured with “Outstanding PhD Thesis of Tsinghua University”.

Mr. Ke Zheng was honoured with “T. P. Hou AWARD”, “Outstanding Bachelor Thesis of Tsinghua University” and “Outstanding Graduate Student of Beijing”.

Chem. Commun., 2019, 55, 2813 – 2816.

The Se–Te bond was prepared by a metathesis reaction between diselenides and ditellurides, which could be manipulated with the presence or absence of visible light. Additionally, the apparent activation energy of the exchange process was measured to be only 28.01 kJ mol-1, explaining the high reactivity and sensitivity to light.

Mater. Chem. Front., 2018, 2, 2109-2115

The combination of chemotherapy and radiotherapy could not only enhances cancer treatment efficacy, but also shortens the period of the overall treatment and relieves the negative emotions of the patients during the remedy. Here, we presented a novel strategy for coordinating the chemotherapy drug CDDP with a tellurium-containing polymer, which restrained the tumour cytotoxicity of these two portions. After low dose γ-radiation, CDDP departed from the coordination complexes, and the tumour cytotoxicity of both was restored. In contrast to conventional chemotherapy, this radiation responsive system possessed specific anticancer effects and less toxicity in the non-radiation region. In addition, with regard to the premise of therapeutic efficiency, this system effectively lowered the radiated dosage.